Tips for buying a Scottie pup
At first, we have summarized some general areas of interest which you should think about before buying a Scottie
(---> General).
Then, we want to make you aware briefly about the level of coat maintenance a Scottie requires
(---> Grooming).
We also give you some consideration on the timing of picking up the puppy and the socialization period
(---> Timing).
Lastly, we have summarized a number of important points you should always have in mind when choosing your breeder and your puppy
(--> How to start)
The Scottish Terrier is a special breed for fanciers and its breeders are mostly highly engaged private people who do breeding as a hobby on a small scale. Our breeders deliberately acknowledge the strict breeding rules of the German Terrier Club (Klub für Terrier e.V.). They have chosen their small breeding stock carefully and invest a lot of effort in order to breed dogs which are in accordance with the standard, healthy and have good temperament. A short description about this undertaking you’ll find here.
This, among other things, explains that the price of Scottish Terriers lies in the upper price segment of all terriers/ dogs. A Scottie from an approved KfT breeder is not a cheap dog - but exclusivity has to be paid!
Bit at the end of the day, any price you pay is part of an individual agreement between the breeder and the customer.
If you happen to see a “deal”, something you will find e.g. on the Internet these days, please be careful and investigate in the source of the puppies and the circumstances under which they have been raised
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The Scottie is a very special breed. His unique appearance can only be maintained by intensive care of the coat. This process does not only support you in keeping you house clean, but also helps the health of your dog: a well groomed Scottie lives a healthier life.
In particular, intense combing and brushing is required regularly (min twice a week, time needed appr. 15 minutes). And a Scottie’s coat should be stripped (NOT clipped) professionally 4 - 6 times per year (depending on the coat structure).
Most of the breeders offer to strip your dog. If this is not feasible for you, e.g. because of the distance, your breeder will gladly refer you to another breeder or other qualified person. Obviously, grooming and stripping means extra and recurring costs you should be aware.
You should accept this additional effort and the cost, because only a well prepared Scottie will bring the joy and admiration of people you can experience when you own this wonderful breed.
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Most of the breeders will hand over the puppy at 12 weeks of age. Within this first period, the puppies go through their first and most important phase of personality development which will influence their life and their character in a very permanent and impactful way.
The responsible breeder will utilize this period for versatile determination of your pup and socialization. He will invest a lot of effort in order to prepare the pup in an optimal way for his future life. If puppies grow up in close contact with the Breeder’s family life, they learn automatically all challenges of day-to-day life, e.g. all kinds of noises. Additionally, they should experience frequent contact with people (not just the breeder) and other dogs. The puppy requires the sovereign support of the mother bitch as well as its litter mates. Contacts with other members of the tribe, e.g. aunts and grand parents, is also always very helpful for development. Puppies can exploit opportunities and limits. Some breeders even visit puppy classes at dog schools during this period where they can get to know the different appearance and body language of other breeds..
The more intense and manifold the breeder’s effort for the puppy is during this period, the less stressful the puppy will arrange itself with its new living environment.
In case you absolutely want to take over your puppy earlier, you should ask yourself if you have the appropriate knowledge and experience to meet the puppy’s complex requirements during the first important socialization period. A breeder will generally only accept such a premature transfer if he is absolutely convinced of you.
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Buying a puppy is a matter of trust. You must trust the breeder and the quality of its breeding stock as well as the breeder wants to trust you that his puppies will get a nice and appropriate new home.
Building trust means: visiting and meeting, visiting and meeting !!!!!!!!
Do not accept to go to a breeder with your money in the pocket and return home with a dog after your first visit. The first contact with young puppies is always full of strong emotions which can easily jeopardize a clear mind! If you did not build a contact or relationship to a breeder in advance, you should take your time to visit a number of breeders. During these visits, you should concentrate on the following aspects:
- is the environment clean and suitable for raising puppies, regardless if this happens in a house or flat or in a specific area for the dogs
- are all dogs are clean and well taken care of
- how do the dogs react towards you as visitors
- how do the dogs in the group interact with each other
- how do you like the dogs in terms of type, color and personality, particularly the brood bitch and the stud (in case he lives in the same kennel)
All these aspects can give you a hint on what you can expect from your future dog partner who will hopefully spend his life with you for more than a decade. The breeders of the Terrier Club will generally be happy to show you everything and answer any of your questions.
Do not expect that a puppy of your choice will be available at your breeder of choice at any time, e.g. when you are decided - the number of puppies available is just too small given 250 - 300 pups per year. And most of the breeders only have 1 - 2 litters per year anyway!
You should rather choose for a breeder, get yourself on a waiting list and then wait until a litter is born.
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